Designer: Custom Vector Brush stroke endpoint node locations?

[Otto Manuel]

Hi,

Ihave been spending some free time making some custom Vector Brushes and have not quite figured out how to predict where the stroke's endpoint node will be located.

I have attached a picture showing 4 copies of the same stroke with 4 different brushes assigned. The length of the stroke is the same with each example, but the apparent length differs.

I suspect that the difference lies in how the brush forms were placed in relation to the margin of the png source file, but I can not figure out if the placement is an absolute distance value, or a percentage, or something more nuanced.

Is there any info explaining how the left and right edges of a brush can be expected to rest upon the stroke?

Thank you! 

[Otto Manuel]

Here is an example I just made in an attempt to reverse engineer quantify the offset.

I have attached the png source file which I used to make the custom Vector Brush, as well as a screen shot of the brush being instantiated in Designer. The source file is 500 pixels long by 100 pixels high. The white blocks are 10 pixels wide. The screen shot shows a stroke with an actual length of 500 pixels long and a stroke width of 100 pixels.

Designer seems to have stretched the "Brush" stroke.

The fifty 10 pixel wide white blocks, that fit precisely within the 500 pixel wide source material, seem to be stretched beyond the end point nodes of the 500 pixel wide stroke.

When I zoom in on the screen shot it looks like the Brush stroke extends approximate 38 pixels past the end point nodes of the stroke.

I am hoping to learn how to anticipate where the end of the source file brush forms I am making will appear when I create and use a custom brush. I have been *investigating* by trial and error and figure I ought to just ask if there is any info that describes the specifics.

Thank you!  

[Otto Manuel]

Here is the edit brush panel for the previously mentioned brush. Note that the offsets are specified at the exact edges of the png source file.

[R C-R]

In the Stroke panel, with the brush stroke selected what setting does it show for the Cap type?

[Otto Manuel]

That's a good question. I tried all three and now realize the butt cap places the source file precisely on the stroke. The round and square caps are the ones that include the extension, which I would now guess is somehow proportional to the stroke width.

IF I work with the butt cap style I will be able to prepare source files that appear as the brush strokes I imagine. Thank you!

 

[Otto Manuel]

Using the reverse engineer procedure I think I stumbled upon the idea that the extension of the Round Cap and Square Cap is 50% of the stroke width. For example if the stroke width is 100, the vector brush will extend 50 pixels beyond the end point node.

 

[R C-R]

1 hour ago, Otto Manuel said:

Using the reverse engineer procedure I think I stumbled upon the idea that the extension of the Round Cap and Square Cap is 50% of the stroke width.

Good catch! I don't think that is documented anywhere.